The British Occupation of Indonesia: 1945-1946: Britain, The Netherlands and the Indonesian Revolution

by McMillan; Richard

• ISBN13: 9780415355513
• ISBN10: 0415355516
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2006-01-13
• Publisher: Routledge

Summary

This is the first work to systematically examine the British occupation of Indonesia after the Second World War. The occupation by British-Indian forces between 1945 and 1946 bridged the gap between the surrender of Japan and the resumption of Dutch rule, and this book is a reappraisal of the conduct on the ground of that British Occupation. Contrary to previous studies, this book demonstrates that occupation was neither exclusively pro-Dutch nor pro-Indonesian; nor was it the orderly affair portrayed in the official histories.Richard McMillan draws upon a wide range of sources previously unavailable to scholars - such as recently declassified government papers and papers in private archives; he has also carried out revealing interviews with key players. Presenting a wealth of new information, this highly original - and well-written - book, will appeal to scholars of European Imperialism, the Second World War, military history and the history of South and Southeast Asia. It will also be relevant to a wide range of undergraduate courses in History.

Author Biography

Richard McMillan is currently teaching History and Government and Politics at Landsowne College, London, and Imperial History at Royal Holloway, University of London.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements	ix
List of abbreviations	xi
Introduction	1	(9)
The arrival of British forces in Indonesia	10	(21)
Planning the British occupation of Indonesia	10	(9)
The British deployment in West Java	19	(7)
The British deployment in Central Java	26	(5)
The Battle of Surabaya	31	(28)
The British creation of an internee problem and British plans for the occupation of Surabaya	31	(2)
The arrival of 49th Indian Infantry Brigade at Surabaya	33	(5)
The dropping of leaflets and the outbreak of fighting	38	(8)
The death of Brigadier Mallaby	46	(6)
49th Indian Infantry Brigade regroups	52	(1)
5th Indian Division arrives at Surabaya	53	(1)
The failure of negotiations at the local level	54	(1)
5th Indian Division occupies Surabaya	54	(5)
Anglo--Indonesian relations in the aftermath of Surabaya	59	(26)
The consolidation of British power in West Java	59	(10)
Casualties, reprisals and atrocities	69	(10)
Anglo--Indonesian co-operation	79	(6)
Anglo--Dutch relations and the British withdrawal from Java	85	(28)
The tensions of Anglo--Dutch military co-operation in the Batavia area	85	(6)
British relations with Dutch internees	91	(8)
The Dutch takeover in Central and East Java	99	(3)
The Dutch takeover in West Java	102	(11)
The British occupation of Sumatra	113	(25)
The arrival of British forces in Sumatra	113	(4)
The deterioration of Anglo--Indonesian relations	117	(6)
Anglo--Indonesian co-operation	123	(3)
The British and the Social Revolution in Northern Sumatra	126	(2)
The deployment of the Japanese	128	(3)
Anglo-Dutch relations and the British withdrawal from Sumatra	131	(7)
Morale	138	(27)
The morale of British officers in British and Indian battalions	138	(3)
The morale of British other ranks	141	(6)
Political repercussions of the use of Indian troops in Indonesia	147	(4)
The morale of Indian other ranks in Indonesia	151	(14)
Conclusion	165	(6)
Appendix 1: Structure of Indian divisions in Indonesia	171	(5)
Appendix 2: Typical brigade headquarters	176	(1)
Appendix 3: Typical structure of a battalion	177	(1)
Appendix 4: Chronology of the British occupation of Indonesia, April 1945--November 1946	178	(5)
Appendix 5: Chronology of events in Surabaya, 25 October--29 November 1945	183	(2)
Appendix 6: Dramatis personae	185	(12)
Maps and plans	197	(8)
Notes	205	(25)
Bibliography	230	(9)
Index	239